Scope for cultivation of temperate fruits in the upper Pulney hills

Kodaikanal, the treasure for temperate fruits in South India is located in the South Eastern scoot of Eastern Ghats (Fig.1). Geographically, Kodaikanal is situated at 10º 13’ Northern latitude and 77º 29’ Eastern Longitude. The altitude of Kodaikanal hills ranges from 900 to 2330 m above mean sea level and thus the climate varies from sub-tropical to temperate. Fig.1 Kodaikanal The hill ecosystem sits on the plateau above the Southern escarpment of the upper Pulney hills at 2,133 m between the Parappar and Guntar valleys. These valleys form the Eastward spur of the Western Ghats on the Western side of South India. On the Northern part, the high hills slope down into the villages of Pallangi, Vilpatti, Poomparai and Mannavanur forming the upper Pulney hills, which are the potential belts for temperate horticultural crops. On the East, the hill slopes low abruptly into the lower Pulney hills with a vast potential for fruit crops. A perceptious escarpment facing the Cumbum valley is on the South. On the West of Kodaikanal, is a plateau